Business rates summons

What happens if I have received a summons?

The summons will show the date of the hearing and the amount outstanding.

If the amount due on the summons, including the costs, is not paid in full before the hearing date, Chorley council will make an application for a Liability Order. The Liability order gives the council statutory powers to take further steps to recover what you owe. The cost of making the order is £31.50 and will be added to your debt. You must still pay this extra cost even if you make a payment arrangement.

Pay business rates

If you cannot pay the amount outstanding in full you should contact us by email to  contact@chorley.gov.uk to discuss repayment. The hearing will still go ahead, but we will not take any further action against you if there is a repayment arrangement in place and you are making payments by the agreed dates. 

f you believe you have already paid, or that someone else is responsible for paying, you should contact us immediately.

Do I need to attend the Court hearing?

You do not need to go to the hearing if you accept that you owe the amount outstanding. The court cannot take account of your financial situation or discuss payment with you. 

View more information on how to pay business rates

What happens after the hearing?

Unless an arrangement is in place, we will send you a letter informing you that we hold a Liability Order. The letter will ask you to either pay the debt in full or contact us to make a suitable payment arrangement within 7 days.

Depending on your circumstances, and the amount you owe, we can enforce the Liability Order by:

• referring the debt to enforcement agents (bailiffs)
• starting bankruptcy or winding up (liquidation) proceedings
• applying for a charging order
• applying for your committal to prison

If we have agreed a payment plan with you, we will only enforce the Liability Order if you miss a payment.